THIS TRIP IS NOW FULL.
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is an ongoing, massive 20,283 acre restoration project with a mission to turn back the clock from a landscape dominated by rusting munitions factories and abandoned bunkers. The vision of transformation towards restoring this tallgrass prairie continues and results so far have yielded promising results. Today, Midewin is home to 108 species of breeding birds including the threatened loggerhead shrike.
A great way to enjoy Midewin is by bike and the facility offers 22 miles of trails. The majority are on old road beds and some are crushed limestone. This field trip will offer a chance to bird by bike, maintaining a COVID-safe distance while searching out species and learning about the history of the site.
The trip will be guided and participants must provide their own bicycle. We will cover approximately 10 miles at an easy pace, stopping to observe species as we go along. If needed, we will park our bikes and walk a bit in search of a target bird. Snacks will be available along the way and lunch will be included at the end of the event. The exact routes are to be determined in order to maximize our birding opportunities. Helmets are required.
Trip Leaders: Greg DuBois & Lee Witkowski (Will County Audubon Society)
Cost of trip includes snacks, water and lunch
Maximum Field Trip Capacity: 12
Cost: $35
Photo of red-winged blackbird by Greg Dubois (Will County Audubon Society)